A Glimpse into Ile Ife Mythology

By Appolos Oziogu Ibeabuchi According to Yoruba mythology, the earth and the first human beings in the city of Ile-Ife were products of divine creative process by the supreme God. It is said that Olorun (the God of sky) gave Orisanla (the god of whiteness) a chain, a bit of sand in small whitish shell, a palm fruit and a five-toed chicken, and told him to go down and create the earth. Having approached the gate of heaven, he saw other gods celebrating and merrying. They danced, ate and drank!! They felt to be at the top of the world. Orisanla eventually joined them. He drank a lot of palm wine, being his favourite drink, which he claimed would give him necessary strength to carry out his great task. Just as the poet would say, they touched the top-most peak of glory, and the days are feast of fairy-land and nights are dreams of rapture.

And consequently Orisanla was intoxicated and slept off. But his younger one, Oduduwa over-heard their father’s instruction. Thus, when Oduduwa saw Orisanla sleeping and snoring deeply, he quickly took the materials of creation: a chain, a little sand in small whitish shell, a palm fruit and a five-toed chicken and went to the edge of heaven, accompanied by chaemelon to create the world. continued